Wii Exposed: Wiinternals, Wii-motes, and a Teardown Wiideo

Nintendo is billing the Wii, their entry into the latest round of next-generation video game console wars, as something different. Sporting a low price and a completely different kind of controller, it is different on the outside. But what's it like inside? Seth Fogie takes a look at the Wii console, Wii-mote, Nunchuk, and sensor bar and points out some of the interesting pieces and parts that help make the Wii experience what it is.

The Wii is the latest offering from Nintendo. Since word of this console system has hit the gaming community, people have been speculating over how the device operates and what kind of features it would have. Over time, it was discovered that the Wii was not going to be just another upgrade (like the Xbox 360 or PS3). While there would be some hardware enhancements, the Wii caught the interest of the gadget and gaming world due to how the user would interact with the system. Instead of the standard two-handed controller, this system sports a Wii remote that resembled a small TV remote. Figure 1 provides a shot of the Wii and accessories.

The Wii-mote, as many are calling it, not only has the normal buttons you would expect, but it has three additional features that truly redefine the gaming experience. First, the remote can detect motion on three axes. In other words, the remote can tell if you flick it left, right, up, down, forward or backward. The second new concept is that of the infrared pointer. Thanks to the use of a small black bar that a user places above or below their TV, the Wii-mote can move an object around the screen, much like you would do with a mouse. Finally, the Wii-mote incorporates Bluetooth technology to allow up to four different wireless controllers to be used at one time. Take a moment and imagine the possibilities for such an interface.

There are some other useful features that Nintendo built into the Wii. For example, they added 802.11B/G wireless networking capability that can easily allow the Wii to connect to the internet. With this ability, Nintendo has also incorporated features like news, weather, shopping, pictures and more into their device (Figure 2). The point is, the relatively cheap Wii has done something that console system makers can only dream of — attracted the attention of every gamer in the world. Sure, the PS3 and Xbox 360 might have better graphics and more powerful processors, but game play isn't all about how it looks. The Wii pulls off a relatively sharp-looking screen when used with an HDTV, but it also keeps the user physically involved with the game.

In this article, we are going to take a look at this system and it peripherals. We will start with a system teardown, accompanied by an nine minute video you can view to check out your own Wii's internals. We will then take a look at the Wii-mote, Nunchuk, and sensor bar and point out some of the interesting pieces and parts that help make the Wii experience what it is.

The Teardown

The Wii is a very tight system. There is little in the way of wasted space, which indicates an excellent design job. I am honestly impressed at how the creators of this device put all these pieces and parts together. If you are not the type to tinker with your electronic gadgets, consider the following as a front row seat into the world of the Wii. On the other hand, if you are reading this because you are the moding type or are trying to fix a broken part, this article will serve as a step-by-step guide to disassembling the Wii. Either way, we hope you enjoy!

TOOL NOTE

You will only need two tools to take apart the Wii. The first is a small Phillips screw driver, which should be easy to locate. The second tool you will need is a Triwing driver. This type of driver is not very common and might take some phone calls or internet searches to locate. Ours was purchased off of Ebay several months ago to repair a broken Gameboy.

To disassemble:

Flip the device upside down and remove the small silver Phillips screw. Once out, remove the battery tray from the console.

Next remove the rubber foot directly above this battery tray. Also remove the three square white stickers from the bottom of the Wii. The rubber foot and the sticker are covering hidden screws. Figure 3 provides a shot of where these screws are located.

NOTE

Hiding screws under stickers and rubber pads is a common method used by electronics manufactures to help increase the aesthetics of their devices, as well as prevent people from easily locating screws and taking apart their products.

Unscrew the two Triwing screws and three Phillips screws from the bottom of the Wii.

With the screws removed, carefully pull off the faceplate of the front of the Wii. You will need to disconnect the red/black wire plug from the Wii to remove the faceplate completely. Figure 6 shows what is hiding under the faceplate.

Lay the Wii on left side (with the ATI and Nintendo logo facing you) and slowly work the right side cover of the console off the device. This will take a little bit of force. If something appears to be stuck, double check to ensure you removed all the screws.

Locate and remove four screws holding DVD reader in place. Two are located in plain site in the middle of the unit. Two are located near the front of the Wii inside the DVD unit (Figure 8).

Slowly tilt the DVD player upward toward top of Wii. There are two wires that need to be disconnected before you can safely remove the DVD unit. One is a plug type of connector that only requires a little tug. The other is a circuit strip connector that requires you to lift the brown catch, which will release the pressure holding the strip in place (Figure 9). Do not break this!

Locate and remove two wireless antennas (Figure 10 and Figure 11). One is located near the bottom of the device and can be removed by carefully pushing against the tabs keeping the card in place. The upper card can be removed by unscrewing a silver Phillips screw. Once removed, unthread the wire from the Wii's body.

Lift the black plastic pieces off the Wii. The rear piece will pull away fairly easily. The center black plastic piece will require some attention. Remove the DVD wires from where they are tucked, and watch the silver heat shield piece when lifting the center plastic piece off the Wii.

Remove three silver Phillip screws from front black piece and then remove the piece from the Wii. Be careful of the small square nut located on the bottom part of the piece, as well as the arm that is slightly inserted into the body of the Wii. To remove this, just lever the arm gently away from the Wii when lifting the black plastic piece out (Figure 14).

Once all screws are removed, slowly lift off tin heat shield. Be careful as this piece can not be damaged. At this point the motherboard is exposed.

Locate the heat sink and remove the four black Phillips screws to gain access to the processor. Do not do this if you are not familiar with how heat sinks need to be seated onto the processor or you could cause irreversible damage to your Wii.

You can optionally remove the wireless network card from the motherboard.

Lift the circuit board off the body of the Wii.

Figures 16—21 show various pieces and parts of the Wii for your amusement.